The Queen Mother drinks a red wine substance from an expensive glass goblet. Dressed in a silk black robe and silk underdress, the Queen is ready to retire for the late evening. However, the Queen waits and merely stares at the chessboard before her. The game was already in progress, but her opponent was still missing.

The doors to her personal chambers open to reveal a hooded young woman striding towards the Queen Mother. The young woman removes the cloak broach at her neck causing the cloak to flutter onto the ground in a soft rustle. The silver-haired beauty with identical crimson eyes smiles warmly at the Queen Mother. “How are you, Nee-san?” Lilith happily asked as she takes a seat on side of the chessboard with the white chess pieces.

The Queen Mother smiles at her younger sister and replies, “I am well, but it hasn’t been more than a week since we last saw each other. Either way, how was your meeting little sister?” Lilith pouts and doesn’t reply as the Queen Mother lets out a sigh of exasperation and drily says, “Please Imōto-chan.” The Queen Mother rolls her eyes at her younger sisters still obvious fascination with Japanese sibling word terminology.

Lilith perks up as the Queen Mothers grumbled something inaudible under her breath. “Nee-chan, you won’t believe what Douglas Montgomery offered me?” Lilith exclaimed as she moved her white knight across the board.

“Oh, let me guess, the Ivory throne?” The Queen Mother muttered back as she carefully studies the chess board before her.

“Precisely. But Montgomery did seem rather confident about his chance of success,” Lilith mused out loud.

The Queen Mother glances up and carefully inquires, “Is that so? What did he say, that assures you of that?”

“It’s not what Montgomery said, but rather what he didn’t. It’s as if he is confident enough that even if that plan fails, he will still have everything to gain by it,” Lilith replied.

The Queen Mother ponders Lilith’s reply and carefully moves her black bishop across the board. “Then do you believe that he is reeling in another to do his dirty work?” The Queen Mother inquired.

Lilith furrows her brows at the recent made chess move across the chessboard. Lilith bites her lip in thought as she mutters back a reply, “I would not be surprised. Montgomery is infamous for making the fish catch itself, then skin and chop itself into pieces, before having it throw itself into the boiling pot all on its own without his even lifting a finger.”

“Yes, that is unsurprising given his mode of operation. But very few powers would so willingly or so easily fall into such a ploy. It must be someone who bears an awful grudge towards the Conclave to be willing to take his poisoned hand,” the Queen Mother deducted out loud.

Lilith smiles in satisfaction as she moves her pawn forward. “You’re right, Nee-san. But the question is whom, as the Conclave holds no shortage of enemies?” Lilith pauses and pointedly studies her elder sister. “Nee-chan, who have you antagonized so recently that you might have pushed them over the edge?” Lilith carefully inquired.

The Queen Mother eyes flicker for a moment as the image of Master Ferguson’s cold face appears in her mind. The Queen Mother shakes her head in dismissal of that thought. Master Ferguson would never be so foolish to ally with Montgomery.

“Either way, it does not matter. We simply need to be alert as always for the players involved always and without fail will soon reveal their hidden Aces up their sleeves,” the Queen Mother assured her sister as the Queen moves her rook a single space to the right.

“I suppose so. But I hope you won’t mind if I spend some personal time with, Montgomery?” Lilith asked as she moves her snowy bishop across the board and takes the Queen Mother’s rook. Lilith flashes her older sister an enigmatic smile as the Queen Mother nods at her.

“You’re still going out with him? I thought that was over?” The Queen Mother drily commented as her dark knight took Lilith’s bishop.

“Girl’s just wanna have fun,” Lilith innocently replied as the Queen Mother snorts. “Besides, I have yet to figure out just what makes that man’s heart to tick. That man has no heart that I can find, but, I am certain there is something hidden in those icy depths. If I could just get to it, we would gain everything,” Lilith commented as she moves a pawn forward.

The Queen Mother studies her younger sister face. “Do not be so over eager, Lilith. Montgomery may be your charming lover, but never forget who he is,” the Queen Mother sternly chided.

“I know,” Lilith replied with a smile. “Don’t act so worried, Nee-chan. Now stop stalling it’s your move,” Lilith impatiently replied. The Queen Mother lets out a sigh and moves her dark knight further up the board. The game was just beginning, and the winner could not yet be determined as the hands of victory switched sides with every move made across the board.

*

In the cold forests of the north, a small group of pack leaders meets under the cold moon. An older man gruffly speaks up, “Thank you for coming on such short notice. But I am afraid, that the bargain that poisonous snake gave us is far too seemly innocent even if it is true. It is almost as if that snake wishes to pit us against the Conclave.”

The group is quiet until a young woman’s voice says, “Yes, we are all acutely aware of that fact, but the question that remains unanswered is why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? That man has something to gain if we act against the Conclave,” another pack leader replied.

“So, should we throw a wrench into his plans and not act?” A female pack leader suggested.

The old, gruff pack leader croaks, “No, even if we are against attacking the Conclave, the majority of the pack leaders will act out their revenge regardless of our wishes. The reveal of the truth was the bait needed and now most of the pack's leaders have been reeled in.”

“Then, what can we do at this point? If our every action is being forced, then what do we have to left to do?” The young woman pack leader asked.

“Simple, we merely attempt to fulfill the plan. Instead, we hit Montgomery where it will hurt him the most,” a pack leader murmured.

“Yes, but the question is where?” The young pack leader snapped.

The older man roughly says, “We will follow the ancestor’s ancient wisdom and do as we would have done in the past.” The pack leaders are silent at the startling declaration, but in the end, none of them voice out their disapproval of the radical suggestion. “Then are we all in agreement?” The older man asked.

The pack leaders solemnly nod their heads in agreement, before disappearing into the woods. The frozen forest remains cold and still as ever beneath the cold moon. As the promise of a reckoning had been born and old oaths were broken before the sleeping mother earth.